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Knowledge of Neumann KM 183's?


TommygunZA

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I see someone locally selling a pair of Neumann KM 183's and was wondering about them....more so if they are a bargain (I dont believe they are the "D" or digital variant). 

 

Recently I seem to have done a fair bit of locked off table work (cooking shows and dinners) and currently boom (416) the unmic'd guests which is a pain in large unscripted set ups.

 

Firstly, are the things (KM 183's) any good to boom with? I was liking the idea of a nice wide pic up pattern but not sure about their reach or handling noise.

Secondly, being lazy, would one get acceptable sound hanging the pair from above the table or locking ff on clamps at either end(ish) of the table?

 

I believe they are quite good for mic'ing acoustic instruments too which would also be useful.

 

General impressions and versatility?

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Great mic for music, esp old school distant pickup in a great hall, in any pair arrangement, or for minimal "in-kit" drum set  micing.  I've never found omnis very useful for dialog plants, except in cars, and there are better-configed mics for that than these.  But if you do any music work, particularly, and the mics are a good deal then you'll be glad to have them.  For any dialog-boom job I've been on more or less ever they would not be a great choice...

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  • 7 months later...

The KM 183 is a "diffuse-field equalized" omni, which means that it was designed for distant miking. When used at medium or close range, it will have a considerable on-axis elevation in its high-frequency response--6 to 8 dB. That evens out when the mike is used at a distance in a reverberant space, since when you get far away enough, the sound reaches the microphone at more or less random angles, while that high-frequency elevation only affects the front quadrant.

 

On the plus side, this type of microphone would have lower sensitivity to wind and handling noise than any directional microphone. But due to the pickup pattern, you would have to get almost twice (1.7 times, technically) as close to your sound source in order to pick up the same direct/reflected mixture as even a cardioid would give you.

 

--best regards

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